The cover

The front cover is designed to do the exact opposite of what all the current interface design books in existence do. Whereas they are visually complex, odd and dated, this design is meant to be simple and fresh, but appealing and modern. Clearly linked to the digital. To convince the audience that you can reliably document and comment on interface and interaction design, it helps to get the book as an interface correct, and that's not something a lot of the current publications achieve. 

The layout of the type and the grid system employed is reminiscent of those seen in Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller Brockmann, a key source of inspiration for this project. Even decades on, modernist design books are still amongst the most respected and popular ones going. This proves their own theory of good design being timeless, and I'm not one to argue. 

The five-dot symbol is a subtle reference to the signal strength indicator on iOS. I explored the use of the hamburger menu symbol but decided to drop it because of the backlash it's receiving under current interface design guidelines; it's now known to considerably reduce user interaction, and should only be used to store low-priority actions to make room for common ones. The signal bar on iOS however is unique but universal, and familiar but not immediately recognisable (particularly at vertical angles). Incorporating a symbol into an otherwise fully-text based cover gives visual appeal, balance and helps to draw attention.

By placing the symbol again on the back cover it allows the book to be identified on a shelf when the cover isn't viewable, or simply when the book is placed face down. A similar technique was utilised by The Vignelli Canon, where the publisher name was placed in the same place as the book's name on the front cover but on the back cover, giving phenomenal visual balance and allowing it to be identified from all sides. 

Initially it was decided that white would serve as the cover colour, but in feedback sessions it was made clear how many books had been easily ruined and dirtied through their white cover. Jan Tschichold is also strongly against the use of white covers on books, as are many book publishers. This wouldn't be appropriate for my book, it must be suitable for use by many people as many times as needed. 

The cover colour was changed to black, which offers the same simplicity as white but with added practical benefits. Further experiments will be conducted with other colour choices in order to find the one most appropriate.